ARTICLES ABOUT SABARIMALA BY DATE - PAGE 3

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday expressed shock over the death of Sabarimala pilgrims in a stampede in Kerala's Idukki district and announced a compensation of Rs one lakh each to the kin of those killed. He expressed condolence to the bereaved families and spoke to Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan about the tragedy. Singh sanctioned a relief of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the stampede and Rs 50,000 to those injured from the Prime Minister's relief fund.

VANDIPERIYAR(KERALA): At least 102 Sabarimala devotees were killed and 50 injured in a stampede when a jeep crashed into homebound pilgrims at Pulmedu in Kerala's Idukki district, in the worst tragedy to strike the worshippers of the famed shrine in a decade. State DGP Jacob Punnoose said 102 people have been killed in the tragedy that took place last night. "We have recovered all bodies through rescue work conducted overnight despite heavy mist and the remoteness of the hilly terrain", he said.

SABARIMALA: The total proceed received by the hill shrine of Sabarimala in the first five days since the commencement of this year's pilgrimage season has crossed Rs eight crore. This is about one crore higher than the proceeds in the corresponding period last year. According to the temple administration, Rs 8,33,83,914 was received by the shrine through various forms, including the cash offerings from devotees, since the 'mandala' season pilgrimage began on November 17. Last year, the amount collected was Rs 7,44,39,026.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Second only to Haj in terms of the number of pilgrims it draws, Sabarimala in Kerala, which witnesses a turnout of more than three crore devotees, has been a money spinner for the Kerala Road Transport Corporation . Buses decorated with insignia of the holy voyage were a familiar sight on the state's roads during the season and have been helpful to pilgrims arriving from outside the state. But in a surprise move which has upset the faithful, the Corporation has decided that it will no more allow religious motifs or flags on the buses or electronic ticketing machines and specifically prohibits writings like "Swami Sharanam" or "Amme Naray- ana" on them.

KOCHI: Religion is throwing up new opportunities of brand promotion for banks in Kerala with increasing number of them cashing in on the spiritual fervour by offering value added services to customers for booking of poojas and prasads. Private banks seem to be spearheading this service provided free of charge to customers mostly in Hindu religious destinations. Guruvayoor and Sabarimala are the top two religious destinations in the state which are being targeted by the banks for their service.

PATHANAMTHITTA: Security has been stepped up at the Sabarimala temple after district officials here received an anonymous letter from UAE threatening to destroy the hill shrine within a month. Though the authorities consider the letter as a hoax, the state and central security agencies guarding the hill shrine are taking no changes and have been put on high alert, a senior police officer said. The letter was sent from UAE on December 4. It was not signed by any individual but the words "SIMI 786" were at the bottom of the letter, sources said.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday referred the issue of granting entry to women at Sabarimala to a larger bench. A bench comprising Justice S B Sinha and Justice V S Sirpurkar referred the matter to a 3-judge bench to decide, saying substantial legal issue were involved. The court, however, said that it was surprising that the state had changed its stand. "You did not appeal against the high court verdict," the judges said. The Kerala high court had upheld the ban of females between 10 and 50 into Sabarimala.

SABARIMALA: Creating history by becoming the first Marxist leader to visit the famed Sabarimala temple, 84-year-old Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan trekked an eight-km-long dense forest route to have a first hand knowledge of the problems faced by the devotees. Velikakathu Shankaran Achuthanandan, popularly known as 'Comrade VS', heading the CPM-led LDF government, reached the hilltop here on Sunday night after a three-hour-long walk along with thousands of pilgrims pouring into the shrine to have a darshan of Lord Ayyappa during the peak pilgrimage season.

Enter a world where profits and morals work hand in glove," said the ad. If your remote had paused on a business news channel one Saturday evening, you may have caught Venugopal Dhoot talking with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. While CEOs and business leaders flocking to Bhagavad Gita lectures, visiting temples or meeting religious leaders have always made news; this conversation on a business media channel seemed a milestone of sorts. A clear statement that corporate life is not just corporate anymore.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday granted permission to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple authorities in Kerala to continue with the practice of according 'special queue darshan' for VIPs and devotees performing 'special poojas' at the shrine. A Bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhan and Dalveer Bhandari granted the permission after accepting a proposal submitted by the Travancore Devaswam Board (TDB) to regulate the queue by restricting the number of persons accompanying the VIPs and the devotees conducting special paid poojas at the premises.